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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 Nov 19 Town Board Minutes DRAFT TOWN OF ENFIELD SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING MINUTES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1999 6;30 PM A Special Town Board meeting of the Town of Enfield Town Board was held Friday, November 19th, 1999 at the Enfield Community Building, 182 Enfield Main Road, Ithaca, NY at 6:30 p.m.. Supervisor Owens presiding. Present: Supervisor, Jean Owens; Town Councilman, Gary Fisher, Town Councilman, Donald Lovelace, Town Councilman, Joe Schehr, Town Councilman, Greg Stevenson. Others present were Highway Superintendent, Ron Updike, Bookkeeper, Pat Podufalski, Town Clerk, Alice Laue. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag - Supervisor Owens led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Privilege of the Floor - Helen Jackson Hetherington read a letter from Mary Cole and Sonja Schreiber, Holiday for Kids Coordinators for the Enfield Elmentary School, supporting the fire company. A number of the members of the public spoke in support of the fire company. Conflict of Interest concerns were expressed and discussed by both the public and board members at great length. Councilman Stevenson advised the public and board members that upon the advice of the Association of Towns’ legal council, Kevin Crawford, he was recusing himself from voting on fire company issues. Unfinished Business Budget Councilman Schehr presented the following resolution. Resolution seconded by Councilman Stevenson. Resolved that the Town Board of the Town of Enfield rescind the General Fund and Highway Fund, year 2000 budget approved for adoption at the November 10th, 1999 regular town board meeting. Discussion- Councilman Schehr - After the November 10th, 1999 town board meeting giving more thought to the adopted budget he used four benchmarks as to approval of the budget and he feels benchmarks weren’t met. Four benchmarks are (1) Whether it was prudent. (2) Whether it was thinking ahead. (3) Whether it was community friendly. (4) Whether there was direction. Special Town Board Meeting Minutes 11/19/99 2 Prudent - budget tight. Thinking ahead - lack of building plan. Community friendly, budget not community friendly. Direction - no vision statement. He would like to see a vision statement telling where we are going, what we invision happening. Changes Councilman Schehr would like to see made. Create a item number for building improvements in the amount of $30,000.00. Money put there would be a sdtart on a program. This would be line item A9950, titled Building Improvements. Councilman Stevenson- Public input he received was that a better job could have been done. Talked with Association of Towns and State Comptroller’s Office. Comptroller’s Office gave him some food for thought and he agrees there are areas we could do better on, perform our jobs more effectively, efficiently, spend our money more wisely. Councilman Fisher - Unexpended fund balance should be used to reduce taxes. Taxes to high this year because of over budgeting on insurance line. Budget was gone through line by line, added somethings, increased somethings, decreased somethings and came up with what the numbers are. Councilman Schehr and Stevenson not in support of November 10th, 1999 adopted budget. Supervisor Owens agrees on a conservative approach in not cutting the town in a short manner, so she supports recsension. Councilman Stevenson - Saved money in certain areas of the budget that allowed the opportunity to plan to cut the budget by $30,000.00, thereby lowering taxes a sizable amount. We all share an equal distaste for property taxes, need to spend money wisely. But, buildings are in bad shape and something needs to be done. Councilman Fisher - School taxes, even with Star Program, are up. County taxes increased. Not opposed to building plan, but need to plan what we are going to do and need public input. Councilman Lovelace agrees with need of a building plan. Need for a building fund, but doesn’t feel $30,000.00 is needed for a building fund start. Need to start with a moderate amount of money in a fund and each year give a moderate tax cut to the people of the town. Do as Equipment Reserve Fund is being done. Vote - Supervisor Owens, aye. Town Councilman Fisher, nye. Town Councilman Lovelace, nye. Town Councilman Schehr, aye. Town Councilman Stevenson, aye. Special Town Board Meeting Minutes 11/19/99 3 Councilman Schehr made the following resolution. Resolution seconded by Supervisor Owens. Resolved that line item A9950 be created, titled Building Improvements and be funded at $30,000.00. Discussion - Councilman Lovelace - Need to have a plan in place. Money is in budget this year to bring community building up to a respectable state to hold meetings in and move courts too. He would like to see fund dropped to $20,000 or $15,000 a year, set aside until a time when town has a plan to remodel or build a new structure. Supervisor Owens - There is no master plan for the town. A, A9950 line can be created to put money in for building improvements, capital programs. Line can only last until 12/31/2000, at which time if money hasn’t been used it can be rolled back in so money isn’t lost money. Councilman Fisher - Contingency line of $20,000 is for additional expenditures. Shouldn’t pad appropriation lines. Part of budget process is figuring out what you need for that line and that is the amount that should be on that line. Councilman Stevenson - Buildings big ticket item, doesn’t deem $30,000 to be excessive, supports idea that a certain amount is put away every year. $30,000 good number to start with. Councilman Schehr - Money shows a commitment and people know we are serious. Councilman Schehr asked other board members about the amount of $30,000. Councilman Stevenson and Supervisor Owens willing to compromise. Councilman Fisher cannot support a thirty cent per thousand increase to create this fund. Vote - Supervisor Owens, aye. Town Councilman Fisher, nye. Town Councilman Lovelace, nye. Town Councilman Schehr, aye. Town Councilman Stevenson, aye. Further Budget Discussion Councilman Fisher asked about revenue from Mobile Partk Ordinance and asked for a status report. Councilman Stevenson responded. Ordinance Councilman Fisher is speaking about generated no monies long before he was on the board. Not sure about who is supposed to enforce it and when it was enacted. He has no historicial background on this matter and has no immediate answer for a old problem Special Town Board Meeting Minutes 11/19/99 4 Councilman Schehr made the following resolution. Resolution seconded by Councilman Stevenson. Resolved that the Town Board of the Town of Enfield approve the adoption of the year 2000 Town of Enfield General Fund and Highway Fund budget as amended. Discussion - Councilman Fisher asked what was going to be done about the Mobile Park Ordinance revenue? Answer - Not part of previous budget discussions. Councilman Fisher not in support of resolution without Mobile Park Ordinance revenue source. Vote - Supervisor Owens, aye. Town Councilman Fisher, nye, Town Councilman Lovelace, aye. Town Councilman Schehr, aye. Town Councilman Stevenson, aye. Fire Company 2000 Budget Motion made by Councilman Schehr, seconded by Supervisor Owens that the Town Board of the Town of Enfield approve the adoption of the Enfield Fire Company 2000 budget in the amount of $174,044.00. Discussion - Councilman Lovelace asked what reimbursement would be used for, who would receive it and if total $3,000.00 would be needed. Councilman Stevenson recused himself from voting on fire company issues. He answered town board members questions as Fire Chief. Answer - Reimbursement would be for mileage not response or emergency related or mileage generated in the town. Routine sundry duties outside of the town boundries. Question - Is there a need for mileage outside of normal duties of $3,000 on that line. Answer - Things members do and places members go outside of Enfield are Basic Firefighter Training which is sometimes held in the City of Ithaca, surrounding towns or counties. EMT, CFR Recertification Training which may be held at TC3, Dryden, Groton, Elmiria, Owego, Academy of Fire Science - Montour Falls. State Field Courses held in other counties. Miscellanous training, i.e. three members attended School Bus Extravation training in June 1999 held in Niagara Falls, Ont. County Fire Advisory Board Meetings, Conference/Trade Shows. Equipment pickup at Cayuga Medical Center/ other hospitals. Special Town Board Meeting Minutes 11/19/99 5 Councilman Fisher - Attempt would be to reimburse essentailly all mileage even for routine firefighter traning? Answer - If possible, amount of $3,000 not sufficient to reimburse all mileage. Reimbursement would go to fire company members. who have mileage expenses outside the boundries of the Town of Enfield. When the amount of $3,000 is averaged out between the sixty member fire company for a twelve month period, that is only about $5.00 per member. Councilman Lovelace - He has no problem with reimbursement of over and above out of pocket expenses, but there needs to be documentation of who received reimbursement, what reimbursement was for and amount of reimbursement. Councilman Fisher - He could support reimbursement cost for transportation over/above what was expected would be reimbursed, but not necessarily routine training event reimbursement. Board members in agreement reimbursement fund needs to be detailed documentation of who, when and what funds were spent on. Councilman Lovelace - Paragraph needs to be in contract that deals with documentation coming to the town board. Documentation would be guidelines for future considerations. Vote - Supervisor Owens, aye. Town Councilman Fisher, nye. Town Councilman Lovelace, aye. Town Councilman Schehr, aye. Town Councilman Stevenson, abstained. Councilman Fisher left the meeting at 8:30 p.m. New Business- Enfield Town Courts Grant Request Supervisor Owens asked for a resolution permitting the town’s participation in “Justice Court Assistance Program Grant.” Resolution made by Councilman Lovelace, seconded by Councilman Schehr. WHEREAS, the receipt of funds for the Town Courts of the Town of Enfield would assisst in the operation of the court, and, Special Town Board Meeting Minutes 11/19/99 6 WHEREAS, these funds would enhance the courts ability to provide suitable and sufficient services to the Town of Enfield, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Enfield authorizes the submission of the “Justice Court Assistance Program Grant Application”. Discussion- Vote - Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Lovelace, Schehr, Stevenson, yes. Town Councilman Fisher was absent. Contract Reviews/Hearings - December 8, 1999 Enfield Community Council Contract - Change in contract if possible would be equal twelve month payments. Motion made by Councilman Stevenson, seconded by Councilman Lovelace that a public hearing be held on the Enfield Community Council Contract, Wednesday, December 8th, 1999 at 7:00 p.m. Discussion- Vote - Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Lovelace, Schehr, Stevenson, yes. Town Councilman Fisher was absent. SPCA Contract Motion was made by Councilman Stevenson, seconded by Councilman Lovelace that a poublic hearing be held on the SPCA contract Wednesday, December 8th, 1999 at 7:10 p.m. Discussion - Vote - Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Lovelace, Schehr, Stevenson, yes. Town Councilman Fisher was absent. Enfield Volunteer Fire Company Contract The following additonal paragraph to added to Enfield Fire Company Contract. That the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company will submit a copy of all approved reimbursement expenditures for the Town Board’s information and as a guide to future payments in this area. Motion made by Councilman Lovelace, seconded by Councilman Schehr that a public hearing be held on the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company Contract, Wednesday, December 8th, 1999 at 6:45 p.m. Discussion - Vote - Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Lovelace and Schehr, yes. Town Councilman Stevenson abstained from voting. Town Councilman Fisher was absent. Special Town Board Meeting Minutes 11/19/99 7 Commemorative Committee Resolution. Councilman Stevenson made the following resolution. Resolution was seconded by Supervisor Owens. WHEREAS, all items purchased by the town, including cookbooks, are the property of the town, and, WHEREAS, it is generally the preference of the Town Board to keep town property in a town owned building, rather than a private residence when possible, and, WHEAREAS, the Town Board regularly requests the cooperation of those who do town business including committee members in auditing records and assuring proper records are and have been created and maintained, and, WHEREAS, the Supervisor is ultimately responsible for these items, and all records related to such, now, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that all cookbooks, cookbook records, includng complete transaction documentation for all sales made since the inception of the project, and all cash not already deposited be turned over to the Supervisor as soon as practical, but in any case no later than December 15th, 1999, and that such items be inventoried and records be examined to verify the quantity and quality of such items. Discussion - Supervisor - Town not accountable for profits and losses. Need to have a independent group in the town that town can contract with to produce cookbook sales. No documentation for town of ad sales, receipt of cookbook sales, documentation of cash transactions. If audited, town would be sited because of lack of documentation. Vote - Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Lovelace, Schehr, Stevenson, yes. Adjournment - Motion made by Councilman Schehr, seconded by Councilman Stevenson that the Special Town Board Meetinbg held Friday, November 19, 1999 be adjourned. Discussion- Vote - Superviros Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Lovelace, Schehr, Stevenson, yes. Town Councilman Fisher was absent. Meeting adjourned at 9:12 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Alice Laue Town Clerk